College confusion leaves families frustrated

Parents in Blenheim are ‘‘disappointed’’ the decision to rebuild the town’s secondary schools sideby-side has gone back to the drawing board after three years of uncertainty.

Parents of primary school children, considering where to send their kids to high school, are frustrated the future of the two colleges is up in the air.

A $63 million plan to rebuild Marlborough Girls’ College and Marlborough Boys’ College at the same site may not go ahead after the Government put the project under review, with all options back on the table, including refurbishing the existing colleges, and building a co-educational college.

Mother of three, Kate Gaines, said she was ‘‘disappointed’’ the decision to co-locate the two colleges was being reviewed.

‘‘It’s been going on for years and it’s about time someone stood up and said exactly where it should go. Get the damn thing done.’’ Val Smith

‘‘I’m disappointed that it has sort of all been put back on hold. It would be nice for them to come to a decision point soon so we know where we are going – there’s been all these discussions and meetings and everything else,’’ she said.

Gaines said while it was ‘‘to be expected’’ something would happen with a change in government, she said it was a bit of a shake-up for the family.

‘‘We thought originally with the timeline [the eldest] would have had a couple of years at the existing college. Then our other children would be fully at the new school so it would be good to have some decisions made,’’ she said.

Gaines thought a co-ed school was the way to go. She had three children at St Mary’s School aged 10, eight and five.

Father of two, Kerry Smith said a decision on the future of the colleges needed to be made either way to give parents’ piece of mind.

‘‘If they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it, if they’re not, they’re not. Don’t muck around with it; at least give the community something to look forward to or just carry on the way it is,’’ he said.

His mother, Val Smith, agreed something needed to be done.

‘‘It’s ridiculous,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s been going on for years and it’s about time someone stood up and said exactly where it should go. Get the damn thing done so people know where their children are going to go in the next few years.’’

Ministry head of education infrastructure Kim Shannon said the review was due to difficulties finding the right site, and changes in cost since former Education Minister Hekia Parata announced the co-location plans three years ago.

‘‘Since consulting with the local community about the proposal in 2014 and 2015, finding a suitable site has proved challenging,’’ Shannon said.

The ministry announced a vineyard on Alabama Rd was its preferred site in December 2016, but nine months later confirmed rumours it was negotiating with NZ Racing over purchasing part of Waterlea Racecourse.

However mother of two Huia Crosby was pleased the decision was under review as her children were already being treated as ‘‘guinea pigs’’.

With her children growing up in a modern learning environment and then possibly going to colocated colleges, it was all very ‘‘experimental’’.

‘‘I just get worried that their whole education is experimental ... You feel quite uneasy as a parent quite the way through,’’ she said.

‘‘I think if there’s going to be change then it would be coeducation and bringing the two schools together. I think it would be great for the community to have a common focus like that or otherwise I think just upgrade and leave them where they are,’’ she said.

Kaiko¯ura MP Stuart Smith, National’s associate education spokesman Simeon Brown and former education minister Nikki Kaye will host a public meeting where the community could discuss the ‘‘best way forward’’.

The meeting will be held on May 6 at 4.30pm at a venue yet to be decided.